Capture the Flag
by RainThestral93
Summary: Boredom, according to Fred and George, is one of the worst kinds of illnesses that you can get. The cure? Simple; a timeless game of "Capture the Flag" with the oh-so-competitive Weasley clan should do the trick. I wrote this piece for the "Never Too Old For Playground Games Competition".
1. Let The Games Begin

**Summary:** Boredom, according to Fred and George, is one of the worst kinds of illnesses that you can get. The cure? Simple; a timeless game of "Capture the Flag" with the oh-so-competitive Weasley clan should do the trick. I wrote this piece for the "Never Too Old For Playground Games Competition".

The scene is set in the summer following the Final battle – except Fred's still alive (poor darling) and Percy's a member (even if he's uptight) of the much loved family of redheads as far as everyone's concerned.

* * *

**Team Tactics**

Fred and George were bored. And boredom, as far as they were concerned – is one of the worst physical afflictions you can come down with – with losing an ear coming in at a close second. Which is why, as the Weasley clan lounged in the front yard, basking under the rarely seen rays of the Summer sun, the twins devised a plan.

"What about Truth or Dare?" George suggested, absent mindedly fiddling with the hole at the side of his head where his ear had used to be, for his was still adjusting to its absence.

Fred raised an eyebrow at his twin. "I don't particularly fancy finding out what Bill and Fleur have been getting up to in their spare time at Shell cottage, nor who Ginny's been snogging in broom cupboards. Haven't you got any better ideas, brother of mine?"

"Sorry," George grinned rolling his eyes. "Plus we're out of Veritaserum – remind me to nick some from Slughorn next time I bump into him."

The twins sat in silence for a few moments as they deliberated ways to relieve them, and every other person in the front yard – which not only included Bill and his wife, but Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, too, who were age-old family friends. Both twins eyes lit up at the exact same time.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" George grinned.

"I think so," admitted Fred. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking –" Started his twin.

"That we should set up a game –"

"Of capture the flag?" Finished George; and Fred beamed.

Of course, that hadn't really been what he was thinking, but he pretended it was just the same. Something to do with feeling special, or something – and Fred thought darkly to himself that if Hermione knew what was going on in his head, she'd probably tell him he had a complex of some sort. Shuddering at the thought, Fred broke out into a wide grin.

"Capture the flag it is," smiling manically, the redhead hi-fived his twin, as he wolf-whistled, attracting the attention of everyone gathered in the nearby vicinity.

Except of course, Hermione, who had her nose buried so deep in a novel that Fred suspected that if the world ended, falling on the bookworm's head, then she probably wouldn't even notice that. He picked up a pebble and lobbed it at her, and her head snapped upwards, searching for the perpetrator. Her eyes fell on a smirking Fred and she rolled her eyes, calling over from where she was slouched on the hammock, "What do you want?"

"We've got a game to play," George chimed in, seeming rather proud with himself. "Freddie and I are bored, so we took it upon ourselves to entertain you lowly mortals."

Everyone groaned, but dragged themselves up from where they were sat, nonetheless.

Bill was by far the tallest of the group, stretching a good head taller than Ron, who was abnormally tall as it was. His hand rested gingerly on the back of his wife; Fleur Delacour, who had shimmering blonde hair and petite, proportionate features. Ron was doing his best to look at anyone but Fleur, for whenever he did, an unfortunate blush crossed his face. He was gangly as ever, and the sun had brought out his freckles that were scattered across his nose giving him a sun-kissed complexion. Hermione was wearing dungarees, and had her hair up in a messy bun, book under one arm as always, looking suitably uninterested in whatever the twins had to say. Charlie, the dragon tamer, rarely saw his family, but was taking some much needed time off after the war. His skin was the most tanned, and he had a large burn up one of his arms, and blistered calloused fingers that indicated his trade.

Ginny and Harry appeared to be in a world of their own, hands entwined as the wandered over to join the throng of people, looking slightly dishevelled – most likely due to an interrupted make-out session. Harry was taller than he had been, and it was as if the weight of Voldemort had suddenly been lifted off him, making him shoot up a foot. Ginny was looking pretty, her radiant red tresses falling gracefully down her back as she listened attentively to her brothers.

Percy was looking more relaxed than Fred had seen him in ages – his work robes had been swapped for combat trousers (which he insisted on wearing with black dress socks, much to Hermione and Ginny's horror) and he wore a blue polo neck. His horn-rimmed glasses perched on his nose giving him a more serious, standoffish edge than the other Weasleys, none the less he seemed interested in whatever plan Fred and George had devised between them.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Fred grinned, as he rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"We propose a game of 'Capture the Flag'" George announced, as if he was declaring the winner of an Oskar.

"Huh?" Asked Ginny, as Harry's thumb traced patterns on her skin.

"It's pretty simple," explained Fred. "Basically, we divide ourselves up into two teams, and the aim is to capture the other team's flag, which is located at the other team's base, and then bring it safely back to their base, without any damage coming to it, in order to win the game. If an enemy player is caught in home territory, then they are sent to a "jail" which is a prison with enchantments to prevent escape. If the team is able to rescue their players, then they may go free, but there's a big risk of getting caught if you do that. With me so far?"

Everyone nodded.

Bill spoke up, "Well sounds good if you ask me. Who's game?"

Fred and George looked around expectantly, as everyone but Hermione and Fleur raised their hands.

"Come on Hermione! Fleur?" George whined.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Sorry but it doesn't sound like my kind of thing. I've just got into my book as well."

"Hermione I promise I won't make fun of you for the rest of the summer if you play, pretty please?" Fred begged, prompting another eye roll from the Gryffindor bookworm.

"Fine then, I'll play."

"Fleur?"

"I will only play if I can be on my husband's team," bargained Fleur, and after a moment's consideration, Fred and George nodded.

"Great!" Exclaimed George. "Bill, Charlie, you can be Captains seeing as you're oldest."

Bill stepped forward, letting go of his wife, and Charlie, hands in his pockets ambled to stand in front of the assembled group.

Fleur joined Bill's ranks, and after a moment's consideration, Charlie picked Hermione, knowing that they could probably do with her brain and use of intellect in provoked situations if they wanted any chance of winning. He flashed Hermione a toothy grin, and the witch couldn't help but smile back. Ron and Ginny joined Bill's team – Bill knowing how much of a formidable opponent his younger sister could be; she was _not _to be underestimated. Fred and George beamed at Hermione as Charlie picked them as team members.

Charlie chose Percy, shooting Harry an apologetic look – but knowing full well that the raven haired boy was far less likely to make a fuss about being picked last than his pompous older brother. Harry joined Ginny, who lovingly pecked him on the lips – much to the dismay on Ron, who still didn't like the idea of Ginny being in a relationship with a guy – even if the guy _was_his best mate.

Ron seemed to be having a go at Bill for not picking Hermione – and the older wizard, along with the bushy haired bookworm, were struggling to keep smiles off their faces.

"Separate to create bases and discuss tactics?" Charlie asked Bill with a playful smile on his face – it was games like these which reminded them both of years spent at the Burrow over the summer when they were younger.

"Meet back here in fifteen minutes?" Bill proposed, and Charlie bartered it up to twenty minutes, leaving the other team to go their separate ways.

"First things first," grinned Charlie, as he rubbed his hands together excitably. "Team name?"

Hermione spoke up immediately – clearly having already given the matter some thought. Over the years, having to create names for SPEW and the DA, she was good at coming up with team names. "Fire-breathers," she said with a cheeky grin in Charlie's direction, and the older wizard grinned at the reference.

"Anyone object?" Charlie asked, in a matter of fairness rather than anything else. "Fire-breathers it is," when neither Fred, George nor Percy could come up with anything better.

"Nicknames?" the dragon tamer questioned, and Fred and George's faces lit up.

"This sounds like our forte, eh, Freddie?" George grinned, and his twin nodded. Fred pointed to Hermione.

"Brainbox," Hermione chuckled, laughing as Percy was dubbed "logistics," and then Charlie, "Scales."

"What are you then?" Hermione asked the twins, a cheery glint in her eye.

"We're trouble squared, of course," they grinned, and everybody laughed.

"Where's our base?" Charlie asked and everyone pondered the thought.

"I know!" Exclaimed Percy, "Charlie, you're a good flier – you can put our flag in a tree or something."

"Great idea Perce," grinned Fred, "That way they'll have to summon a broomstick in order to reach it, and we can easily defend it in the air."

"Hmm what about the prison?" Hermione mused, quizzically.

George's eyes glowed, "What about what of those water sphere thingies that muggles have?"

"Oh you mean those balls that you climb inside to be able to walk in water in?" Questioned Hermione, and George nodded. She smiled.

"Yeah I suppose that would work, the only way they could rescue prisoners would be to swim out and release them – that's _got_to slow them down a bit," Hermione grinned.

"Plus we can put all kinds of enchantments around the water," Percy chipped in, "Making it harder to swim than normal."

Everyone grinned excitably, "Okay team fire-breathers," chuckled Charlie, "Looks like we're ready."

On the other side of the camp, much the same kind of thing was going on.

"Okay," Bill clapped his hands in a business-like fashion, prompting a look of admiration from his wife, and sighs from everyone else. "We need nicknames."

Harry grinned, "Well I'm easy, I'll be Specs," he turned to Ginny in admiration, "You can be formidable," he announced, which prompted a grin from his girlfriend.

"I'll be oaf," grinned Ron, cracking his knuckles jokingly. "Fleur, erm, what will you be?" He managed to just about splutter.

She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and shrugged. Bill spoke up, "Fleur can be Princess, because she's sure as hell mine," and she kissed her husband's cheek, causing a slight pink tint to come to the curse breaker's cheeks.

"I'll be Scarface," chuckled Bill. "Where's our base going to be?"

Ginny spoke up, "Well given that we're all strong swimmers I was thinking perhaps in the lake?"

"Good idea Gin," grinned Bill. "What about prison?"

"How about up a tree?" Joked Harry, not realising he would be taken seriously.

"Hmm that's not a half bad idea," Fleur mused. "We could tie them to the branches, and perhaps create enchantments that mean they cannot be untied?"

"How would you tie them to a tree?" Remarked Ron, seeming somewhat perplexed.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ron, are you a wizard or not?"

Ron smiled apologetically, "Oh yeah, sorry, forgot," to snickers from Bill and Fleur. Harry shook his head at his friend, warranting a light punch on the arm.

"Team name?" Bill opened the issue to the group, but no one had any ideas. "What about Misfits?" he proposed, and he was met with confused stares.

He explained, "Well I'm a werewolf; Fleur's part Veela; Harry's a parselmouth; Ginny's the only girl in a house of boys, and Ron's stupidly tall. We're all misfits in one way or another?"

Ginny shrugged, "That's all very well but it's not very _scary_is it?"

"Atta girl," grinned Harry, and she shot him dead with her gaze. "How about "Bloodthirsty Misfits"?" he questioned, and Bill nodded in approval.

"Sounds like we got everything," grinned Bill. "I say, let this game begin."

* * *

**A/N: **So what did you think? Who's going to win, hmm?


	2. Have A Little Faith

**A/N: **So it's taken a while to update, sue me. Here's the next installment - hope you like it - let me know what you think, as always - Beth :) xx**  
**

* * *

**Have A Little Faith**

Fred and George, despite the amount of noise they managed to make on a daily basis, and the general trail of mayhem that they left wherever they went, could actually be extremely quiet when they wanted to be. Which was why, tiptoeing gingerly up to where Harry was stood "guarding" Team Bloodthirsty Misfits' prison, Harry didn't know what was about to hit him.

Quick as a flash, Fred cast a silencing charm on Harry, and George levitated him into the air. Before Harry could so much as blink, he was trapped in a gyrosphere in the middle of the lake, with no way out. Panicking, he bashed the walls of his inflated prison, but to no avail. No one could hear him, thanks to the genius of the twins.

From the shore, Hermione clapped excitably, as they took their first hostage – they were one step closer to getting the oppositions flag. "Nice work, trouble squared," she muttered to herself with a massive grin splayed across her features. So wrapped up in her glee, Hermione didn't notice a maddened Ginny – after all nobody wants their boyfriend to be captured (the thought alone is rather humiliating) – tackle and take out Percy, who was Hermione's plus one in the mission. A stealthy Ginny bound and gagged her surprised older brother, and with the help of Fleur had him tied in a tree in no time.

The redhead grinned devilishly, regarding the hilarious sight of her uptight brother spinning manically round as he hung upside down, looking rather like a cocoon. Fleur cast a clever piece of magic which meant that all his blood wouldn't rush to his head and cause him to pass out – and Ginny had to admit that Bill's wife had her uses, for Percy was a much more entertaining prisoner when he was conscious, the redhead suspected.

Wheeling around, expecting to see Percy behind her, Hermione looked around the surrounding landscape bemused. Where had he gone? Mere moments ago, Percy had been stood beside her, watching as Harry writhed inside his prison, struggling to escape. Hermione began a stealthy perimeter check, casting a disillusionment charm over herself, so that she couldn't be seen by the others. As an afterthought, she cast a silencing charm on her feet, too, so that the other team wouldn't know what had hit them.

Back in the yard of the burrow, Hermione chanced across a peculiar sight – a writhing mass of rope hung in a tree, which Hermione assumed to be Percy, judging by the guards, Fleur and Ginny, who were collapsed in peals of mirth at the sight of their prisoner. Rapidly, the cogs in her brain began whirring, as she formulated a plan. Sneaking up, her magical stealth not yet worn off, Hermione positioned herself close to the bough of the tree Percy was hung on.

She would need to act quickly if she and Percy were to make their escape – which was why she cast a tripping jinx, causing the blonde and redheaded women to land face down in the dirt, as they struggled to stand, instead, continuously tripping over their own feet. Hermione cast a cushioning charm on the ground beneath Percy, and with a slash of her wand, cut the rope that was tying him to the tree. She quickly worked with her wand, slashing the rope to get through the intricate web of knots that Ginny had clearly weaved to slow down potential rescuers. Finally free, Percy righted himself, not objecting to Hermione's proffered hand as they raced away, in the knack of time for Fleur and Ginny (both very disgruntled) finally found their feet once again.

Once Percy and herself were an appropriate distance away from two very angry women, furious that they'd been gotten the better of, Hermione stopped for breath. Percy pushed his horn-rimmed spectacles up his nose, wheezing slightly. "Thank you," he managed, his breathing heavy and is tone laced with iration, at having needed to be rescued in the first place.

Hermione smiled at the intelligent Weasley, waving her hand to dismiss the rescue. "It was nothing," she grinned, "We just need to capture that flag before Ginny and Fleur try and get their revenge."

"Too right," chuckled Percy, "I've been on the receiving end of my sister's hexes far too many a time to want to cross her. Where to next?"

"Well we need to find where they've hidden their flag, that's for starters," Hermione concluded, "Aren't you meant to be logistics, huh, you tell me."

Percy flushed, embarrassed to be asking Hermione for help. "I'm no good at these kinds of things," he admitted, shrugging. Charlie ran up to them, panting, broomstick in hand.

"I've hidden the flag in a tree," he grinned smugly, "They'll never reach it, even if Harry's half as good a flier as he claims to be."

Hermione beamed, fuelled by the surge of confidence that was emanating from the Dragon Tamer. "Well we need a plan, what are we going to do about their flag?" The bookworm inquired, and Charlie held his broom aloft.

"I know," he grinned, "I'll scout the area on this, cast a disillusionment charm so that they can't see me," Hermione nodded at the wise suggestion. "I reckon it'd be easier if you find a way to distract Ron; Percy you can stop Ginny from getting at Harry – nice work by the way," he added.

"That was Fred and George," Hermione admitted sheepishly – for it hadn't been her handiwork that now had Harry trapped.

"Ahh," Charlie chuckled, "I should have guessed. Speak of the devils," he grinned, as the twins approached, beaming, and looking mischievous.

"Howdy partner," George grinned, high-fiving a very startled Percy, who was looking as if he didn't have a single clue as to what was going on.

"We were just explaining tactics," said Charlie, as he filled the twins in on his idea. "So I'll scout the area, Hermione can distract Ron; you guys need to find a way to keep Bill and Fleur occupied, and Percy, you need to find a way to prevent Ginny from rescuing Harry. Don't forget we get bonus points if we've still got Prisoners by the time one of the flags is captured."

"Don't you mean when we've captured _their_flag," Fred grinned.

"Nice to see you're feeling confident," Charlie grinned. "Well good luck all of you."

Percy gulped, turning to address Hermione; for she was the only one left after Fred and George had bounded off to handle Bill and Fleur, whilst Charlie had flown off on his broom. "I think I'm going to need it," he sighed. Hermione laughed, placing a good-luck kiss on the blushing wizard's cheek.

"You'll be fine, don't worry. Have a little faith in yourself," she beamed brightly. "Taking on Ginny after Voldemort is nothing," she laughed.

Percy shook his head, joining her in her mirth. "You know what?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him quizzically.

"I'm not so sure," he swallowed nervously.


End file.
